Dave Soh

FOR Dave Soh (pictured), senior negotiator at MIP Properties, selling properties is just one part of his job scope as he believes there is more to the profession.

Soh told TheEdgeProperty.com that a professional real estate agent’s work begins way before a property is put on the market as it entails working with the property owner to see how they can add value to the property.

“Even if the truth may offend the owner, the real estate agent needs to tell the owner and provide advice to improve the condition of the house,” he emphasised.

At MIP Properties, Soh said the company requires its agents and negotiators to meet the owner at the said property before it is put up for listing. This allows the agent to inspect the house personally and offer relevant advice to the owner. For instance, if the house has a leak, the owner is advised to fix the problem. Or, if the house looks dim and dull, he would advise the owner to spend some money to repaint the house before listing it for sale.

“You must add value to a property before placing it on the market,” he remarked.

Like other consumer products, properties also need some packaging to make them more appealing to buyers.

During a house viewing for instance, creating a “home sweet home” ambience can help win a buyer’s heart. “There are some simple ways to do that. Make sure the house is clean and be there early to turn on the air-conditioning to cool down the house. Place some nice decorations and plants in the house to help enhance the overall viewing experience,” he explained.

Meanwhile, a real estate agent also needs to prepare price trend data to help the owner decide on the asking price and increase the chance of closing the deal within a desired timeline.

Market information is easily available over the Internet nowadays. However, the asking price for a property could actually be far from its real value and owners may not know that. Agents need to be equipped with information on transacted prices of similar properties so owners have a better idea on the real market condition, Soh said.

Such efforts may mean taking a longer time to sell a property. However, Soh said this is what it means to be a professional. Practising professionalism in their jobs will help real estate agents maintain a good relationship with property owners and benefit them in the long run, he added.

From IT to real estate

The 27-year-old from Batu Pahat, Johor joined the industry four years ago and now leads a team of 20 agents/negotiators. He is also a trainer for newbies at MIP Properties.

Soh’s first job was as a computer programmer in a well-established local software provider company.

“It didn’t turn out to be what I expected. I got bored with the routine and repetitive work of systems maintenance after one year,” he said, adding that it didn’t pay well either and he was struggling to pay his bills every month.

Meanwhile, a friend from university quit his job as an accountant to become a real estate agent and Soh was impressed with his lucrative job.

“My friend had just become a real estate agent for a few months before he closed his first deal and bagged RM9,000 as his commission. It was almost three times my salary that time,” he said.

Soh’s eagerness to improve his financial situation drove him to quit his job and join his friend at MIP Properties.

Life wasn’t easy in the beginning. His expenses shot up as he had moved from Seri Kembangan to Kota Damansara to reduce commuting time to his new office there. He also had to spend money on advertising his property listings.

“During the first two months, I was focusing on the rental market. In my third month, I successfully closed my first sales transaction,” he recalled.

His first deal was a studio apartment in Ritze Perdana, Damansara Perdana which sold at RM220,000. He was so motivated that he did his best to close every deal in that first year. He successfully closed 55 transactions and won three awards in his first two years, namely Top Sales Agent (first runner-up), Top Transaction and Best of the Best Agent.

In his third year, agency principal Alan Kuan asked him to lead a sales team and become a trainer for the company. He took up the challenge and became one of the youngest team leaders in the company.

Changing lifestyle

Changing his career path not only improved Soh’s financial condition but also changed his lifestyle.

Soh used to be a big fan of online games, which he played almost every night and even during weekends. But no longer.

“I don’t play games anymore, not even watch TV. Time is limited, I’ve got bigger dreams to pursue, so I have to use my time wisely,” he said.

As a team leader he is responsible for his team’s sales achievements as well as the company’s team building training.

“Personal achievement is important, but helping others to succeed gives me more satisfaction. I want to influence more people, and inspire them to improve their lives as well as achieve what they want in life,” he concluded.

Click here to check out the price trends at Ritze Perdana 1.

This story first appeared in TheEdgeProperty.com pullout on Feb 26, 2016, which comes with The Edge Financial Daily every Friday. Download TheEdgeProperty.com here for free.

SHARE
RELATED POSTS
  1. Johor welcomes federal govt's move to amend MM2H programe conditions
  2. Property sales hit fresh record RM196.8 bil in 2023; Johor sees highest price rise, says Napic
  3. Iskandar Waterfront outlines RM4.3b development projects in Johor in 10-year plan